Council affirms funding commitment for four VDOT Smart Scale projects; designs to proceed separately

Williamsburg City Council voted to approve Resolution 25-02 on March 13, affirming the city's commitment to the local match and authorizing the city manager to execute agreements with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for four Smart Scale projects.

City staff presented the four projects included in the resolution and noted costs have increased since the awards were made; staff said they will request additional funds from VDOT to avoid adding city funds where possible. The projects are:

- Lafayette Street signal and pedestrian improvements: retiming and coordination at Lafayette intersections with North Armistead, North Boundary and North Henry; expected start July (year not specified) and completion March 2027 (staff projection used in discussion).

- Richmond Road signal coordination and pedestrian improvements: improved timing and coordination on Richmond Road and related intersections; staff projected a similar 2027 completion timeline.

- Lafayette Street widening: widening travel lanes between Bacon Avenue and Wythe Avenue and widening Bacon Avenue to Virginia while maintaining on-street parking on Alden Street and addressing utility relocations.

- Monticello Avenue/Richmond Road/Lafayette Street roundabout: conversion of an existing signalized intersection to a multi-lane roundabout with new sidewalks; staff noted a longer, more complex schedule with projected completion around March 2030.

Staff and council clarified the resolution authorizes moving into design and agreement phases; councilmembers emphasized that each of the four projects is handled separately by VDOT and the council can choose to proceed or not at further decision points. Multiple members asked for public input opportunities, especially regarding the roundabout and any anticipated right-of-way impacts. Staff advised that after design work is completed the city would have additional decision points and that VDOT could require funds to be returned if the city declined to proceed after design.

Councilmember discussion recognized the projects have different timelines and costs, and the motion was framed as accepting VDOT funding and moving forward with design work rather than committing to construction without further review.

Action: A motion to approve Resolution 25-02 passed unanimously. Recorded votes in the meeting transcript show the following affirmative votes: Miss Williams (Aye); Miss Ramsey (Aye); Mayor Ponds (Aye); Vice Mayor Dent (Aye); Ms. Kerns (Aye).

Ending: Council approved the resolution to advance design and agreement steps; staff will return with design information, cost updates and opportunities for public input before any final construction commitments.